Improvement in animal-traps



dilata statte sind (tithe JOHN B. MEBRIMAN AND GEORGE B. LEWIS, OF ILANTS'VILLE, CONNECTI- CUT; SAID LEWIS ASSIGN S HIS RIGHT TO SAID MERRIMAN.

Letters Patent No. 109,035,.dated November 8, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN ANIMAL-TRAPS.

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We, JOHN B. MERRIMAN and GEORGE B. Lewrs,

both of Plantsville, in the county of Hartford and,

State of Connecticut, have invented a new and improved Animal-'Irap, for catching moles, rats, &c., vwhich we term a Novelty Trap;7 and ot which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists- First, inthe employment'of a frame, supported by pins or legs,vand provided with a pair of jaws upon two opposite sides, arranged with a spring, and proper mechanism for setting the same, as hereinafter described.

Second, it consists ot removable side-pieces attached to the legs ot' the frame upon two ot its sides, and of a removable bait-hook arranged immediately below the. pan, so that the same trap maybe used for either rats or moles, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a top view ot'a trap of our invention.

Figure 2, a vertical section oi' the same, on line Figure 3, a side elevation of the same; and

Figure 4, a front elevation of the same, when. sprung.

A designates the frame, which may be made of cast-iron vand of any pleasing design, and is provided with four pins or legs, et et a a.

On two opposite sides of the frame A the jaws B B are pivoted.

Extending upward from cach of' the jaws B is a lever, 71.

` The ends of the levers b, which are directly opposite each other, are connected by a rod, C.

A spring, D is vsecured to each of the rods C in such manner as to throw the ends ot the levers b b b b outward and the jaws B B inward.

The spring Ilbeing rigidly secured to the rods C, said rods should be free to partially rotate in the ends of the levers l.

The frame A is provided with an opening of a proper size and shape to allow the pan E to work through the same, which pau E is provided with a lever, c, pivoted between lugs d d,

A latch, f, is hinged to the rod C for the purposeA of settingthe trap, as shown in figs. l, 2, and 3.

Immediately below the pan E is the shaft 71, to which shaft is secured a T-levcr, i, the end of sai lever being formed into a bait-hook, It.

The shaft 7L swings freely in the lugs in, and is held in place by the button a.

Ve also form, of sheet'metal, two side pieces, o o, having a coil or roll upon each of their ends to cncircle the legs ct a..

A top view ef said side pieces may be seen in fig. 1, the parts which are under the frame being repre-` sented by broken lines.

In iig. 3, one of the side piece-s, o, is removed, to better show the other parts.

Ihe operation is as follows 'lhe trap being set, as shown iu figs. 1, 2, and 3, the side pieces o o prevent the animal from approaching the bait only by passing between one set of the jaws B B.

A nibble at the bait moves the T-lever e', which raises the pan E, and thus liberatcs the latch f from the lever c, when the spring I) throws the .ends ot' the levers b b outward and closes the jaws B B, as shown in lig. 4, when the pair of jaws, through which the animal passed to approach the bait, will secure the animal beyond any possibility of escape.

By making the` trap ot` va1ious sizes it may be made to take larger or smaller animals.

When desired to use this trap exclusively for a I nole-trap, the side pieces o o are removed by slipping them from the legs or pins af.

The button n is turned sidewise when the shaft 71, is slipped out from the lugs m and removed.

lVith a shingle or other thin tool two crevices are made across the moles hole suitable to allow free action ot' the jaws B B, care being taken in making said crevices to disturbthc dirt around the mole-hole as little as possible.

rIhc dirt over the hole between the crevices is then stamped down, the legs or pins a crowded into the ground, while the jaws B B are iu the crevices before described, and the pan E, resting upon the dirt between them, when thc trap is set bymeans ofthe latch fand lever e.

The mole, in the next attempt to traverse his hole, raises the pan E by moving the dirt under it, and is caught by one of the pair of jaws B B.

In the latch f we form a curve, g, tig. 2, into which one otl the rods C restswhen the trap is set. This curve assists to hold the rods C C together, and receives a large share of the power of the spring D, so that but little ot' the force ot' said spring is exerted upon the end of the latch, and consequently less power is required to lift the pan E and spring the trap than would be required if the latch j' was made on a straight line li'omthe top ofthe rod C to the end of said latch, and, therefore, all the power of the spring exerted upon the latch f.

Ihc advantages ot' our inventionare as follows,

viz:

Ihelatch and lever for setting the trap are remote from thc jaws, and, therefore, the trap may be set without danger ot catching and injuring the fingers of the person setting it between the jaws. There is nopart of the trap for the animal to step over or upon to approach the bait, andtherefore, as has been demonstrated by practice, it will be less suspicious l about entering the trap than it would if obliged to step upon or over the trap, as is generally the case. It. secures tbe animal by griping` it; around the body instead of the legs, and, therefore, holds said animal securely. Il'. is arranged -and adjusted so that'. the least nibble at the bait is sure to spring the trap. It is adapted for botll'rats and moles, and is compact and durable. i

\Ve claim as ot' our inventionv 1. 'lllecombination of tbe T-lever i, baila-hook 7.', shaft 71, pan E, lever c, latch f, rods C C, spring D, levers b b b b, jaws B B B B, frame A, legs a a a a, and side pieces o o, substantially as and` for the purpose described.-

2. The combination of the pan E, lever c, latch f, rods C C, spring D, levers b b b b, jaws B B B B, frame A, and legs a a a a, substantially as and for lille purpose described.

3. The combination of the bait-book k, '[-lever z', and pan E, combined and operating together, substantially as described.

JOHN B. MERRIMAN. GEORGE` B. LEWIS.

f'itnessem A. L. FREEMAN, WALTER S. MERRELL. 

